Willie Robertson, Phil Robertson’s son and the CEO of the hunting business that made the family millionaires, tweeted late Friday: “Back to work!!! So proud of all the fans of the show and family. Ole Phil may be a little crude but his heart is good. He’s the Real Deal!”

A widespread outcry from conservatives followed the news that Robertson had been booted from the show indefinitely for controversial remarks he made about homosexuality published recently in an interview with GQ.

Conservatives that had come to Robertson’s defense included Sarah Palin and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Jindal reacted to the news with a series of tweets praising the network’s decision.

“Today is a good day for the freedoms of speech and religious liberty,” the Republican governor posted. “The left may control Hollywood, but they don’t control the hearts and minds of a majority of Americans,” he added.

An “I Stand with Phil” petition calling for his reinstatement garnered more than 250,000 signatures by Friday morning, and an Alabama state senator said he’ll soon introduce legislation supporting Robertson’s freedom to express his own opinions.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson called Robertson’s remarks “more offensive” than the driver who ordered Rosa Parks to sit at the back of the bus.

“At least the bus driver, who ordered Rosa Parks to surrender her seat to a white person, was following state law,” Jackson said in a statement to the Chicago Tribune on Thursday.

In its statement, A&E said: “While Phil’s comments made in the interview reflect his personal views based on his own beliefs, and his own personal journey, he and his family have publicly stated they regret the “coarse language” he used and the mis-interpretation of his core beliefs based only on the article. He also made it clear he would “never incite or encourage hate.” We at A+E Networks expressed our disappointment with his statements in the article, and reiterate that they are not views we hold.

“But Duck Dynasty is not a show about one man’s views. It resonates with a large audience because it is a show about family… a family that America has come to love. As you might have seen in many episodes, they come together to reflect and pray for unity, tolerance and forgiveness. These are three values that we at A+E Networks also feel strongly about.

“So after discussions with the Robertson family, as well as consulting with numerous advocacy groups, A&E has decided to resume filming Duck Dynasty later this spring with the entire Robertson family.”

The network’s ratings suffered after news of Robertson’s suspension, averaging 1.51 million prime time viewers from Dec. 16-22, down 13 percent from the same week in 2012. The show is often one of the most-watched cable programs, with its recent Christmas special grabbing 8.9 million viewers.

The Robertson family had released a statement saying it was “in discussions with A&E to see what (the suspension) means for the future of” the program, fueling speculation that A&E’s top show could get canceled or leave for another network.

Robertson, 67, of West Monroe, La., whose invention of a new type of duck call launched the family business, has not addressed the controversy beyond the statement he issued last week:

“I myself am a product of the ’60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the Bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.”

The network also said it will launch a PSA promoting “unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people.”